The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 05 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 05 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
Whoever goes to the Directorial presence under this passport, with this
offensive comment and foul explanation, goes, in the avowed sense of the
court to which he is sent, as the instrument of a government dissociated
from the interests and wishes of the nation, for the purpose of cheating
both the people of France and the people of England. He goes out the
declared emissary of a faithless ministry. He has perfidy for his
credentials. He has national weakness for his full powers. I yet doubt
whether any one can be found to invest himself with that character. If
there should, it would be pleasant to read his instructions on the
answer which he is to give to the Directory, in case they should repeat
to him the substance of the manifesto which he carries with him in his
portfolio.
So much for the _first_ manifesto of the Regicide Court which went along
with the passport. Lest this declaration should seem the effect of
haste, or a mere sudden effusion of pride and insolence, on full
deliberation, about a week after comes out a second. This manifesto is
dated the 5th of October, one day before the speech from the throne, on
the vigil of the festive day of cordial unanimity so happily celebrated
by all parties in the British Parliament. In this piece the Regicides,
our worthy friends, (I call them by advance and by courtesy what by law
I shall be obliged to call them hereafter,) our worthy friends, I say,
renew and enforce the former declaration concerning our faith and
sincerity, which they pinned to our passport. On three other points,
which run through all their declarations, they are more explicit than
ever.
First, they more directly undertake to be the real representatives of
the people of this kingdom: and on a supposition, in which they agree
with our Parliamentary reformers, that the House of Commons is not that
representative, the function being vacant, they, as our true
constitutional organ, inform his Majesty and the world of the sense of
the nation. They tell us that "the English people see with regret his
Majesty's government squandering away the funds which had been granted
to him." This astonishing assumption of the public voice of England is
but a slight foretaste of the usurpation which, on a peace, we may be
assured they will make of all the powers in all the parts of our vassal
Constitution. "If they do these things in the green tree, what shall be
done in the dry?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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